Pa. Dem allies issue 'orders' to end shutdown

HARRISBURG, Pa.—Allies of the Democratic Party are handing out "orders" to Pennsylvania's Republican members of Congress, demanding an end to the partial shutdown of the federal government.

Michael Morrill, director of the liberal group Keystone Progress, said Tuesday that the messages were being delivered to the offices of Pennsylvania's 13 Republican House members and GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

Other organizers of the event included MoveOn, the AFL-CIO and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

In Washington, meanwhile, House Republicans scrambled to counter an emerging bipartisan Senate deal to reopen the government and forestall a default on U.S. obligations.

But two days before a debt deadline, it was unclear whether the GOP leadership could hold it together amid grumbling by party conservatives.